The name of Mikhail Belov promises a great deal in connection with the idea of reconstruction of the Bolshoi Theater. And this is aside from his reputation as one of the most authoritative creators of the «paper architecture», a phenomenon of the Soviet art of 1980s which was highly praised at the international contests of the time. In Belov's projects for international contests of the late period predominates a romantic imagination, a sophisticated inventiveness magnified on a large scale. Such kind of art often tries to outrun the time itself. And it means that it does not fit categorically into the regime of the moment. An example of this is the Convention Hall in Nara, Japan, where the space of the building is split up via various media and can be restructured at any moment with the help of gigantic partitions that move in and out of the building to create random exterior compositions. Another example is the complex for EXPO'95 in Vienna where an austere network of identical, right-angled buildings of permanent designation turns into a gigantic, outspread mixture with the help of a system of innumerable tents and dividers laid out in a radial pattern. Furthermore, Belov is entirely at ease with the theatrical challenge; it is not by chance that many of his most ambitious contest projects are dedicated to theatrical buildings. At the same time he has periodically collaborated with the prominent scenic designer Sergei Barkhin throughout his career.

In spite of the simultaneously provocative and respectable inventiveness that is the primary impression Belov's projects make, the architect himself is emphatically modest in articulating of his personal credo. He does not gush grandiloquently about his artistic goals but instead qualifies architecture as an ordinary, practical craft. The mass production of something characteristic would not be typical for him. Therefore, it is hard to picture a «Belov style» as a formalized brand. On the other hand, all of these dissimilar projects do have something in common. This is chiefly the atmosphere of experiment on a large scale connected at the same time with a healthy sense of responsibility. In spite of his mien of architect-craftsman and jack-of-all-trades, this love to experiment imparts to Belov's works a substantial dose of the almost naive idealism. It is not by chance that he frequently repeats Viktor Shklovski's words: «Only the creation of a new form can bring back interest to life, renew objects and banish pessimism.»

Indeed, the desire to banish pessimism sets Belov apart against the background of the Moscow community of the yuppie architects and the “dinosaurs” from the system of state design institutes. In fact, however, this state of searching imparts to his inspiration a certain unexpected businesslike quality and variation in scale. This scrupulousness and methodical approach to the elaboration of the details of his gigantic complexes is unusual. This person who year after year shone at Japanese and European contests can nonetheless with the same calm enthusiasm, invents cheap but cleverly designed children`s playgrounds in Moscow. Then he fearlessly expresses himself in the fountains` projects of the Arbat's «Turandot» as well as at the very difficult task in the architectural composition and town planning - the monument «Natalya and Alexander», the gold covered cupola of which marks the highest point for this Moscow architect's career at the moment. Like many of his contemporaries and collaborators at the expositions of “paper architecture”, Mikhail Belov is a transitional figure. Perhaps it is not by chance, then, that he shows respect for Shklovski or frequently returns to the theme of Russian Constructivism, both of which date back to the intermediate intellectual atmosphere of the 1920s and 30s. There is something weird that a person who is painfully impressed by the legacy of the Russian/Soviet school and simultaneously perceives his otherness towards the European architectural process is now faced the challenges of reconstructig the Bolshoi theater. And not just in terms of a return to the problems of the «Theater for Future Generations» contest. The public resonance in connection with the reconstruction of the theater, with its mix of vanity, utilitarian needs and great expectations has led to a myth-making around the Bolshoi as a part of the system of national symbols, to which the present exhibition is in a manner a tribute. Reconstructing a myth while taking into a consideration the newest technological and scenographic demands is not an easy job. Nevertheless, Belov seems totally up to the task.

Sergey Khodnev